A Learning Process
by gawilliams
Summary: Parker approaches Bones for advice on how to make a marriage work.  Set about eight years in the future.
1. Chapter 1

_Bones has always said she has a steep learning curve. Does that also include relationships? In this one Parker is worried about his upcoming marriage and comes to Bones for advice. I hope you enjoy it. Gregg._

_Disclaimer: I don't own, or profit from, these characters or franchise. No copyright infringement is intended._

Dr. Temperance Brennan-Booth walked up to the door of the small, modest home. It was the house that she had bought Parker so he could have a nice place to live while in college. He was 20 now and a junior at Georgetown majoring in forensic science with a minor in anthropology. She had been thrilled when two years before he had told her and Booth that he wanted to be a forensic anthropologist like her, and also to catch criminals like she did with Booth. Being the student that she always knew he was he was a 4.0 student, and had been offered several very important internships the last two summers that were considered to be high honors in the field.

"Doctor Bones!" Parker said with a wide smile as he opened the door.

Bones smiled. For as long as she'd known him Parker had called her _**Dr. Bones**_. She loved the moniker as much as she loved _**Bones**_ which Booth called her. She gave Parker a hug and followed him into the home. Taking a seat on the couch, she looked around. He kept the home nicely furnished and very tidy.

"How is your project in mummification techniques?" she asked when Parker returned with some coffee fro them.

"I finished the other day," Parker told her. "I should know in a week or so how I did, but I don't think I have anything to worry about." He paused and then went right to why he had asked to talk to her. "I asked Cindy to marry me," he told his step-mother.

Bones raised a brow. Parker had introduced Cindy to her and Booth a few months before, but there had been nothing to indicate that there may be anything more serious going on that good friends. Bones had spent the remainder of the evening teasing Booth once Parker and Cindy had left that his son was now a man in an adult sexual relationship. Booth, predictably, had not been amused and groused about his baby boy being too young for all that. She could very well imagine how he would react to this news. Inside she was looking forward to the amusing event.

"Congratulations," Bones replied, making sure that he knew she was sincere. Her views of marriage were as defined as always, but when it came to the Booth men in her life, she was willing to admit that some exceptions were appropriate. "Have you told your Father?" she inquired. She was sure he hadn't as she had not heard Booth in the throes of a stroke or a heart attack so far that day.

"Not yet," Parker replied, scratching his head in embarrassment. He knew he should have told them together, but he wanted to talk to Dr. Bones first. "I wanted to ask you something, first."

"Alright," she said reluctantly. She had always been more than willing to answer any questions he had, but the idea of discussing marriage made her nervous. She had a wonderful marriage with Booth, but she had struggled early on in their relationship. She felt Booth was the person to talk to about anything related to that.

"I love Cindy, and we definitely want to get married," Parker told her, prefacing his question so she wouldn't get the wrong idea. "But getting married, living together, and all that is a big step, and it changes so much. How did you and Dad make it work?" he asked.

Bones had definitely not been expecting that question. She had figured, once he had said that he hadn't told Booth, that he wanted some advice on how to break the news. To be honest she wasn't sure that this was something she could answer.

"I'm not sure that I'm the one to answer that, Parker," she told him. "Your Father is the one who is more in tune with relationships."

"What do you mean?" Parker asked. He'd always admired Dr. Bones and how she fit so well with his Dad. They seemed to have the perfect relationship.

Bones sighed. "The relationship you see when you look at me and your Dad took a lot of work to accomplish, and almost didn't happen," she told him. "I made a lot of mistakes when we got together, and while Booth made some, too, I had a lot more to learn than he did."

"What would you have to learn," Parker asked. He knew how ridiculous that question sounded, as everyone had things to learn in life, but Dr. Bones had always seemed to know everything.

Bones chuckled. "A lot," she told him. "A good example was when I didn't invite him to the ultra-sound of your half-sister. I honestly didn't think of it. He was mad, though, and rightfully so. I also had trouble, and still do at times, dealing with your Dad's pride when it comes to money."

"But those are all the practical things," he responded. "I guess I'm more worried about the intangible things."

"Those are the worst for me," Bones admitted. "Your Dad once said he's the heart and I'm the mind in our partnership, and also our relationship. For better or worse, that's true most of the time. I have taught him a few practical things, too, over the years. It's why we don't have a television in our bedroom."

"Huh?" Parker tilted his head in curiosity.

"Studies show that a television in the bedroom decreases a couples sexual desires and how often they engage in sexual relations," she told him, amused at the horrified look on his face, just like Booth always had when she brought up anything sex related in public.

"I really didn't need to hear that, Bones," he told her, but made a mental note to get the TV out of the bedroom pronto.

"You sound so much like your Father," she said fondly. "Do you really want to know why our relationship works? What really makes the ultimate difference?" she asked, a serious look on her face.

"Yeah," Parker leaned forward and listened intently.

"When Booth and I were having a difficult time dealing with the idea of buying a home, I was pregnant and fell in my office and couldn't get up," she told him. "It was late, and the only people at the Jeffersonian were the security guards. Instead of calling one of them, which would have been the most practical solution, I could only think of calling Booth. The only person I wanted to help me was Booth. I'd never felt like that before for anyone, Parker. Just the thought of him coming to help me made everything alright. I felt safe. I think for the first time I knew the full depth of what the concept of love really was, and also that the relationship would work. That Booth and I would have that thirty or forty or fifty years he is so passionate about."

"It's that easy?" Parker asked. He wasn't trying to be deliberately that obtuse, but Bones was usually much more direct in answering questions.

"Hardly," Bones smiled. "Booth and I have had our fair share of troubles over the last eight years of our intimate relationship. But those feelings I alluded to allow us to know that no matter the issue, nothing is bad enough to ruin what we have. If you can say that about your relationship with Cindy, then you already have the most important piece of the puzzle in place."

"She's the first person I think of when anything happens," he admitted, a slight blush coming to his face.

"I have a very steep learning curve, but I can admit that when it comes to relationships, I was very slow to learn what you are already figuring out, Parker," she told him. "I think that you will do very well in your relationship. Remember one thing, though, that your Great-Grandfather told your father and I a long while back. Never go to bed angry. There have been a lot of evenings, and some nights, where we spent a lot of time talking out our problems before going to bed, but it is very sound advice. The making up is also quite satisfying afterwards," she added with a wicked gleam in her eyes. Parker was just as easy to fluster as Booth was.

"Way too much information, Dr. Bones," Parker groaned.

"It's very obvious who your Father is, Parker," Bones said with a short laugh. "There is no right or wrong way to make a relationship work. I can give you advice, just like your Father can. The important thing to remember, though, is that if you are asking these questions now, you are already well ahead of the learning curve when it comes to relationships. I think your marriage will succeed very well. Just break the news to your Father gently. I don't want him having a stroke at the thought of his baby boy being all grown up."

Parker laughed. "Deal," he told her. He looked down a minute, and then up at her. "I don't know if I've ever said it, but you always being willing to listen to me and take my problems seriously really has meant a lot to me. Dad and Mom are great, and I know they love me, but you made me feel as if I was grown up enough to have a serious conversation with. Whether you know it or not, you're an awesome Mom, and a great role model. I don't know what I'd do without you there backing me up."

Bones had to fight the tears at those words. They meant so much to her, and it was all the more special seeing as she had tried so hard to make sure that Parker did not ever think she was trying to take the place of Rebecca in any way. Parker, in his own way, had just told her she'd been ahead of the learning curve all along. Instead of breaking down, she just went over and hugged him tightly.

"How about we go and get Cindy, and then the two of you join Booth and I for dinner. Elizabeth us at her friends house tonight and the two of you can let your father know the good news," she suggested. When he nodded, she led him out of the house and to her car. This one short conversation had just shown her that her decision to take a huge chance and begin the relationship with Booth when she got pregnant after Vincent's death had been the wisest decision she had ever made.

_A/N: I am considering writing a second chapter to this where Booth gets told at dinner, so for the moment I am leaving this listed as in progress. I hope you enjoyed this future fic. It is not related to my _Deep Regrets_ series. Gregg._


	2. Chapter 2

_Thank you for the wonderful response to the first chapter to this one. This will be the final chapter, leaving the story at a two shot. This time we get to see how Booth reacts to the news that his 20 year old son is getting married. I hope you all enjoy it. Gregg._

_Disclaimer: I don't own, or profit from, these characters or franchise. No copyright infringement is intended._

Booth's jaw fell a few centimeters as he stared at his son. Married? At his age? What the Hell had happened? It wasn't that he disliked his son's girlfriend. Cindy was a very nice young lady, a good student, and had a lot of potential in the social services sector once she finished her degree program. No, it was that Booth wasn't ready for his boy to get married.

"Excuse me," he said as politely as he could and stepped away from the table and went outside.

Bones looked at Parker and Cindy. "It's nothing either of you have done," she assured them. "But for Booth this is a very big shock, and Booth is not one to accept change easily."

Parker stood up. "I should go and talk to him," he said, and made his way to the door.

Bones halted Cindy when the young lady made to follow Parker. "They've needed to talk for some time now," she told her. "Why don't we have some dessert and I'll tell you about a much younger Parker Booth? He really was a cute little boy."

Cindy smiled. "I'd like that," she replied.

Parker found his Dad out by the man made waterfall above the fish pond. There was a couple of comfortable lounging chairs there that his dad and Dr. Bones enjoyed sitting in in the evenings to relax and decompress from their long days.

"Hey, Bub," Booth said when his son approached. He felt bad about leaving so abruptly, but he needed some space to collect his thoughts, and also to avoid saying something precipitous that he didn't even mean. "I'm sorry for running off like that."

"It's not the end of the world," Parker shrugged it off. "But I would like to know what's wrong."

"I've been trying to figure that one out myself," Booth sighed. He looked over at his son. Parker had grown into a handsome young man and he was damn proud of him. Here was nothing he could say about his son that was in any way negative. "I guess the real problem for me is that your still so young, and I'm not sure you can make such a major decision after only being with her a short time."

"Me and Cindy have been dating for over a year now, Dad," Parker chuckled. "And when it comes to reasonable amounts of time, I think the eight years it took for you and Dr. Bones to get your act together would be more unreasonable."

"Over a year?" Booth questioned. "And you only introduced her to me and Bones a few months ago?"

Parker shrugged. "I figured I'd make sure this was the real thing before subjecting her to you two," he said, a mischievous smile on his face and a twinkle in his eyes.

"We're not that bad," Booth glared a touch.

"Oh?" Parker laughed. "And just who was it who did a full background check on the family of my first girlfriend, and who was it who asked my last girlfriend if she was sexually satisfied in our relationship? I mean, geez, Dad, we hadn't even had sex!"

Booth chuckled. "I'll cop to the first one, Bub, but that second one was all Bones, I swear!" he told his son while reaching over and ruffling the young man's hair.

"What's really the problem, Dad?" Parker asked.

"You know I tried to be there for you as much as I could, right?" Booth asked, looking at his son right in the eyes.

"Of course," Parker told him instantly. It wasn't his Dad's fault that his Mom had been the way she was until Parker had confronted her when he was fourteen.

"I missed out on so damn much, Bub," Booth sighed. "Now you're 20 and a grown man. But to me your my little boy who needs his Dad. In my mind you aren't old enough to be getting married. Hell, Parker, I still have trouble thinking of you being in college!"

Booth sighed again. "I can't imagine being married at twenty, Parks," he continued. "Until I met Bones I thought I knew what love was, but that went right out the window and now I have the woman I love more than anything by my side, and it's only possible because I was older, and I hope wiser, than I was when I was your age. I'm not saying Cindy isn't a good person, or even possibly the one for you, but it's just damn hard for me to think the two of you are ready."

"How do you know you're ready?" Parker asked, in many ways asking what he'd asked Dr. Bones earlier.

"Well first you gotta find one willing to say yes, first," Booth joked, knowing his son would catch on given the living nightmare that was his old man had gone through convincing Bones that marriage was a good thing and not some barbaric BS.

"Which I have," Parker smiled.

"But that's the easy part, Bub," Booth told him. "When Bones goes on a trip to give a lecture, or participate in the occasional dig, I can't sleep at night. I tried to convince myself it was just me worrying about her, but that's not it, or not all of it. The main reason I can't sleep is because she isn't there with me. When she's there the demons I have aren't. As corny and mushy as it sounds, Bub, she comforts me just by being there. I feel like that all the time when she's around. Whether it's walking into my office, or me hers, I get that feeling."

Booth looked at his son and saw that Parker was taking it in. "Look, Parker, every parent wants their kids to have more than what they had," he told him. "To be honest, I can't imagine any marriage being better than what me and Bones have. If you can say to me that you feel, not think, but feel deep down, that what you and Cindy have comes close to what I have with Bones, then I won't argue at all."

Parker kept the serious expression on his face the whole time. It was amazing to him how close his Dad's and Dr. Bones views about what made their marriage work were. Different stories, but pretty much the same effect on each other. Even in that they were incredibly in tune. He and Cindy had talked long and hard about all this for the last couple of months before he proposed, and he could honestly say that he felt the same as his Dad about marriage. Cindy fit the definition to a T.

"She's _The One_, Dad," he said simply.

Booth halted whatever it was he was about to say. Parker knew what that phrase meant to him, and he knew his son was like him in that regard. He wouldn't have said it lightly. "Then I guess I'm getting a daughter-in-law pretty soon," he said, a slight smile on his lips. "How about we go in and make sure Bones isn't embarrassing the Hell out of us?" he suggested.

"She doesn't still have the photo album, does she?" Parker shuddered as they stood up.

They heard a couple of very amused laughs coming from the house right then.

Booth's shoulders slumped. "Oh, yeah," he told his son. "Get used to it, My Boy. It only gets worse from here on that kind of stuff."

"But they're worth it, though?" Parker asked, amused at his Dad's horror over the dreaded picture album.

Booth smiled widely and placed his arm over Parker's shoulders. "She's worth everything, Parker," he told him. "And I hope you will be able to say that about Cindy."

The two men walked to the house together and entered the door while closing a metaphorical door on an old relationship, allowing them to embark on a new one.

_A/N: Well, there's the one with Booth. I decided to make this one serious like the first chapter rather than spice it up with some more humorous moments. I hope you enjoyed it. Gregg._


End file.
